Guinness celebrates 200 years in the USA - Happy Anniversary!

St. James' Gate in 1817 - Celebrating the 200th anniversary of Guinness in America.Guinness

This year Ireland and United States celebrate the 200th anniversary of Guinness in America. Since the first eight casks of porter arrived in October 1817, Guinness and America have cultivated quite the love affair. Here’s to the next 200 years.

The story begins on October 16, 1817 when the first eight barrels of Guinness porter arrived in South Carolina. As the Irish continued to arrive on the shores of the United States so too did Guinness and this year the St. James’s Gate brewers are celebrating this great history. The master brewers at Guinness are introducing limited-edition Guinness 200th Anniversary Export Stout; bringing back a few favorite stout releases for a festive variety pack; and also hosted a pair of public events in New York City and Los Angeles to mark the occasion.

Emma Giles, Guinness Brand Director, said: “Two things have always been at the heart of the Guinness brand since our founding in 1759: brewing great beer and sharing our story.

"When we started brewing beer for America 200 years ago, that story became a shared one. Now, every time you share a pint with someone else, another chapter begins.”

Guinness 200th Anniversary Export Stout is the latest beer created by the Open Gate Brewery – the pilot brewery located at St. James's Gate in Dublin – where Guinness brewers experiment with new styles and reinterpret historical brews. Inspired by a recipe Benjamin Guinness – the son of Arthur Guinness – originally developed in 1817, this beer is brewed with Black Patent Malt and Golding Hops and has a 6% ABV.

"We took a look at that export stout's recipe from 1817 in our brewing records and used that as our inspiration here, but it's not just an homage to who we were as brewers then or who America was as a country," said Peter Simpson, Head Brewer at the Open Gate Brewery in Dublin. "We're also using this beer as a way to show how much we're looking forward to the next 200 years. We knew it had to be special, and we really think this throwback recipe captures exactly what we wanted from 1817 all the way through 2017."

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Peter Simpson, Head Brewer at the Open Gate Brewery in Dublin holding the Guinness 200th Anniversary Export Stout.

In October Guinness also released its newest limited-edition Guinness Draught cans, featuring artwork from the legendary Guinness ads from the 1930s and the 1950s that featured various zoo animals. Previous limited-edition cans have featured the much-loved Guinness toucan and tortoise, among other works.

The 200 Years of Stout in America Mixed Pack – also on its way from Guinness – will bring back a few favorite stout recipes to add to the festivities.

- Guinness 200 Years of Stout in America Mixed Pack – A collection of brews in honor of America's love of stouts – Guinness Original, 200th Anniversary Export Stout, Antwerpen Stout and Foreign Extra Stout – all of which have been exported to the U.S. over the past 200 years. (MSRP: $21.99, 12-pack)

Along with Guinness 200th Anniversary Export Stout, these brews will be available in stores nationwide.

While the past 200 years are the reason for celebration, the next 200 years have even more possibility. The newest chapter in this Irish-American story will be set in Maryland, where the first Guinness brewery on U.S. soil in more than 60 years will open in 2018. The brewery’s name, the Open Gate Brewery & Barrel House, is a combination of the pilot brewery at St. James’s Gate and a nod to the plan for this new brewery to be a center for barrel-aging beer. The new home for Guinness in the U.S. will also be the permanent brewing site for Guinness Blonde American Lager and other new beers created specifically for the states.

Whether you’re celebrating the 200th anniversary of Guinness in the U.S. or toasting to the next 200 years, please remember to drink responsibly.

St. James' Gate in 1817 - Celebrating the 200th anniversary of Guinness in America.Guinness